Yuvan Shankar Raja
Encyclopedia
Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian film score
and soundtrack composer
, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil
as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan
. After initial struggle, he made his big break with the Thulluvadho Ilamai
soundtrack (2001), and evolved as one of Tamil cinema's most sought-after composers by the mid-2000s.
Within a span of 14 years, Yuvan Shankar Raja worked on over 85 films. Considered a versatile composer, he often strives for different and innovative music and has explored and used elements of various genre
s in his compositions that range from folk
to heavy metal
. He is particularly known for his use of western music elements
in his pieces and often credited with having introduced Hip hop
to the Tamil film and music industry and having started the "era of remix
es" in Tamil Nadu
. Being immensely popular among the younger generation, he is frequently referred to as the "Rockstar", and the "Youth Icon of Tamil Film Music". In addition, Yuvan Shankar Raja is recognized for his background score in films
(re-recording) that have fetched him accolades among critics.
He has won two Filmfare Awards
; the Best Music Director Award
in 2004 for his score in the drama 7G Rainbow Colony
at age 25, remaining the youngest winner of the award, and the Special Jury Award
in 2009 for his Telugu musical Oy!. Besides, he received two nominations for Filmfare Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award
in 2006 and the Cyprus International Film Festival Award
in 2006 for Raam
, becoming the first and only Indian composer to win it.
, India into a Tamil
family, Yuvan Shankar Raja is the third and youngest child of musician and film composer Ilaiyaraaja
and his wife Jeeva. He is the younger brother of music director Karthik Raja
and playback singer
-cum-music director Bhavatharini
. Yuvan once confessed, that his brother Karthik Raja is more talented than him, but did not get a successful break into the music business, since he did not get a "good team to work with". His father as well as his siblings have sung many songs under his direction.
Film director and film composer Gangai Amaran
and R. D. Bhaskar are his uncles and their sons Venkat Prabhu
, Premji Amaran and Parthi Bhaskar, who are working in the Tamil film industry as well, are his cousins. Moreover, Yuvan Shankar and both the sons of Gangai Amaran, do often associate with each other and have often worked together, the results of which have been very successful. Venkat Prabhu's films have had all musical score by Yuvan, while Premji had assisted him composing music for some years, before becoming an independent composer aside from the fact, that both have sung several songs under the direction of Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Yuvan Shankar did his schooling at St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School
in Chennai, and discontinued his education after his tenth class. He started learning music from Jacob Master, attending piano classes at "Musee Musical" in Chennai, which is affiliated to Trinity College in London, UK.
Yuvan Shankar Raja stated, that he always wanted to become a pilot
and travel "all around the world", but as he grew up "with music around him", he eventually became a musician. He admires the work of his father and other composers such as S. D. Burman
, R. D. Burman
, M. S. Viswanathan
and Naushad
and the voices of singers Lata Mangeshkar
, Asha Bhosle
, P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela
.
, the producer of the Tamil language film Aravindhan
, after hearing some of the tunes, asked to compose a trailer music. As the producer was so much impressed of which, he gave Yuvan Shankar the assignment to compose the entire film score
including a soundtrack for that film. After consulting and getting consent from his parents, he accepted the offer; his music career started. His entry into the Tamil film and music industry had happened at age 16, thus becoming one of the most youngest composers ever in the industry, which, he says, was "purely accidental".
However, both the soundtrack album as well as the film itself failed to attract audiences and to do well and Yuvan Shankar Raja's following projects Velai
(1998) and Kalyana Galatta
(1998) were not successful either; his compositions for these films did not receive good reviews or responses, with one reviewer labelling the music and re-recording in the latter as "cacophony" and "poor". This eventually caused that he hardly got any film projects and assignments. During this time of struggling, he was approached and assigned by director Vasanth
to compose the music for his film Poovellam Kettuppar
(1999). The soundtrack received very positive response, bring described as "fresh" and "different", with a critic from The New Indian Express
citing that his "absolutely enchanting musical score [...] bears testimony to his ‘Raja’ surname." The album became very popular, particularly songs like "Irava Pagala" and "Chudithar Aninthu", gaining him first time notice, especially among young people and children. The album would make possible his first breakthrough in the industry and proved to be a major turning point in his career. After working for two Sundar C. films, Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga
(1999) and Rishi
(2000), which both fared averagely at the box office, he got to work for A. R. Murugadoss
' directorial debut in 2000, the action flick Dheena
starring Ajith Kumar
, which went on to become a blockbuster and Yuvan Shankar Raja's first major successful film. Yuvan Shankar's songs were equally successful, which are considered to have played a major role for the film's great success. whilst his background score
in the film was also well appreciated.
, collaborating with Selvaraghavan
for the first time. The soundtrack album of Thulluvadho Ilamai particularly appealed to the younger generation. The film itself, marking the debut of Selvaraghavan's brother Dhanush
, released one year later and became a sleeper hit
at the Chennai box office. This was followed by Bala's
Nandha
(2001), for which he received rave reviews. He then gained notice by churning out "youthful music" in the college-life
based April Maadhathil (2002), the romantic comedy film
s Kadhal Samrajyam
(2002), and Mounam Pesiyadhe
(2002), Ameer's
directorial debut film, and the triangular love story
Punnagai Poove
(2002), in which he also made his on-screen debut, appearing in some scenes and one song sequence. At the same time he made his Telugu debut with Seshu
and Malli Malli Chudali
and also composed for the Tamil films Junior Senior
and Pop Carn, starring Malayalam actors Mammootty
and Mohan Lal, respectively, all of which performing poorly at the box offices, though.
In 2003 Selvaraghavan's first independent directorial, the drama-thriller film Kaadhal Kondein released, which is considered a milestone for Yuvan Shankar Raja. His work in the film, particularly his background score, was unanimously praised, leading to the release of a separate CD consisting of several film score pieces, a la "Hollywood-style", which was reportedly the first film score CD release in India
. Furthermore, the film went on to become a blockbuster, cementing the film's lead artist Dhanush and Yuvan Shankar in the Tamil film and music industry. The same year, he worked in Vishnuvardhan's
debut film, Kurumbu
, which featured the first remix
song in a Tamil film. By that time, in a career spanning less than a decade, Yuvan Shankar Raja had established himself as one of the leading and most-sought after music directors in the Tamil film industry, despite having worked predominantly with newcomers and in low-budget productions.
, another Selvaraghavan film, and Silambarasan's Manmadhan
, were both critically and commercially successful films, featuring acclaimed as well as popular music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, which also contributed to the films' successes. His work in the former, in particular, got critically acclaimed and eventually led him to win the Best Music Direction Award
at the 2004 Filmfare Awards South
; receiving the award at the age of 25, he remains the youngest winning music composer of the award. From since, he has had nine to ten releases every year on average, turning him into one of the most busiest and prolific Indian film composers.
His first of nine album releases of 2005 was Raam. His score for the Ameer
-directed thriller, labelled as "soul-stirring", fetched him further accolades and eventually yielded a win at the 2006 Cyprus International Film Festival
for Best Musical score in a Feature Film, the first such award for an Indian composer. His success streak continued with his following releases of that year, low-budget films such as Arinthum Ariyamalum
, Kanda Naal Mudhal
and Sandakozhi
surprisingly becoming successful ventures at the box office, since also Yuvan Shankar's compositions like "Theepidikka", "Panithuli" and "Dhavani Potta" from the respective soundtracks enjoyed popularity and played an important role for the films's successes. After the release of the soundtrack for the S. J. Suryaah
-starring romantic comedy, Kalvanin Kadhali that also enjoyed popularity post the film's release, his final album of 2005, Pudhupettai
, released, which saw him once again collaborating with director Selvaraghavan
. The ten-track experimental
album, receiving exceptionally rave reviews, was considered Yuvan Shankar Raja's finest work till then and being hailed as a "musical masterpiece". The soundtrack and score of the film featured a traditional orchestral score played by the "Chapraya Symphony" of Bangkok
, the first time in a Tamil film. Critics felt that this project, in particular, proved his abilities and talent to produce innovative and experimentative scores as well. Karthik Srinivasan from milliblog commented that "Yuvan’s imagination soars way beyond the confines of a Tamil movie OST", describing the album as "clearly one of the most innovative albums in recent times". The film itself, releasing only in May 2006, did average business, despite opening to outstanding reviews.
He next worked on the romantic comedies Happy and Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
and the gangster film Pattiyal
, which all released in early 2006. His Happy songs and score received positive reviews, with critics labelling the "youthful music" as "excellent", and the film's "main strength", whilst his score for Pattiyal was highly praised by critics; a Sify
reviewer wrote, "Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music and background score is the life of the film". Further more, both films went on to become very successful ventures, both commercially and critically. His subsequent releases that year include Silambarasan's debut directorial, Vallavan
and the action entertainer Thimiru
. Yuvan Shankar Raja was hailed as the "real hero" of the former, which featured some of the year's most listened tracks like "Loosu Penne" and "Yammadi Aathadi", while the latter film ranked amongst the year's highest-grossing films. In November 2006, the Paruthiveeran
soundtrack album got released, which saw the composer foraying into pure rural folk music, using traditional music instruments. Though initially releasing to mixed reviews, with critics doubting whether the songs could attract modern youth audience, his first attempt at rural music turned out to be a major success, following the film's outstanding run at the box office. The film, Ameer's third feature film as well as Karthi's debut venture, received universal critical acclaim after its release in February 2007 and became a blockbuster, whilst particularly the song "Oororam Puliyamaram" was a chartbuster number in Tamil Nadu
.
In 2007, he had a record ten album releases in one year. The first was the soundtrack of the romantic drama film Deepavali, following which the audios of the sports comedy film Chennai 600028
, the Telugu family entertainer Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
, Vasanth
's thriller film Satham Podathey
and the romantic films Thottal Poo Malarum
and Kannamoochi Yenada
released, with the former three being well-received besides garnering positive reviews. The films, Chennai 600028, Venkat Prabhu
's directorial debut, and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, Selvaraghavan
's Telugu debut, in particular, were high commercial successes and became one of the year's most successful films in Tamil and Telugu, respectively. In late 2007 then, the audio and the film Kattradhu Thamizh got released. The soundtrack album, which was released as Tamil M. A., as well as the film itself, had been met with exceptionally positive reviews and critical acclaim. The music was widely considered a "musical sensation" and noted to be a proof of Yuvan Shankar Raja's "composing skills". However, despite outstanding reviews by critics, the venture failed to evoke the interest of the audience and did not enjoy much popularity. His final release of 2007 was Billa
, a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth-starrer of the same title
. This film, remade by Vishnuvardhan
, starring Ajith Kumar
in the title role, also featured two remixes from the original version. The film emerged one of the top-grossers of the year, whilst also fetching rave reviews for Yuvan Shankar's stylish musical score.
and Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu
, respectively, which partly featured the original score and songs. The Tamil version, in particular, was able to repeat the success of the original film, emerging a high commercial success, while yielding Yuvan his second Filmfare nomination. The other releases that year include Seeman's Vaazhthugal
, Venkat Prabhu
's comedy-thriller Saroja, Ajith Kumar
's action thriller Aegan
and Silambarasan Rajendar's masala flick
Silambattam
, out of which, Saroja and Silambattam proved to be successful at the box office, with Yuvan Shankar's score in the former and his songs in the latter garnering accolades and several awards at the 2009 Isaiyaruvi Tamil Music Awards. Out of his nine 2009 releases, hardly any managed to succeed, in spite of receiving widespread critical acclaim, since the respective films failed at the box office. Excluding the romantic comedy Siva Manasula Sakthi
, featuring his most popular song of the year "Oru Kal", his other films were box-office bombs, while few songs like "Siragual" (Sarvam
) and "Aedho Saigiral" (Vaamanan) still became popular. He had also provided a rural score again in Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum
and a sarangi
-based score for the urban action drama of Ameer's
Yogi
, both going unnoticed. His score for his Telugu romantic musical Oy!, meanwhile, fetched him the Special Jury Award
at the 2010 South Filmfare Awards
.
In late 2009, the soundtrack album
of Paiyaa released, which was regarded as a "blockbuster album" and "magnum opus", as it went on to become exceptionally popular, much prior to the film's release, and probably one of Yuvan Shankar Raja's biggest success of his career. The song "Thuli Thuli
" had become the first Tamil song to be featured in the India Top 20 list for April 2010, indicating it was the most frequently played Tamil song on all Indian FM radio stations in the history of Tamil film music. The film itself became one the highest earners of the year, particularly supported by Yuvan's score and songs. Along with Paiyaa, songs from three more films for which he composed music that year - Naan Mahaan Alla, Baana Kaathadi and Boss Engira Bhaskaran
- featured among the Top 10 chartbusters of the year.
Besides Tamil films, he has also scored music for films in other South Indian languages
. Around 35 of the Tamil films, for which he had composed music, were afterwards dubbed into Telugu
, Kannada
or Malayalam language
s as were the respective soundtracks. Apart from these ones, he also worked "straightly" on Telugu projects such as Seshu
, Malli Malli Chudali
, Happy, Raam
, Raju Bhai
and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
, making him a well-known popular composer in Andhra Pradesh
, too. His latest Telugu album Oy! has become a grand success as it topped the charts for several weeks. Yuvan's latest album of 2011, PANJAA
has created all time records, creating new waves (trends) as a rocking album in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2010 he composed his first Bollywood
song "Haq Se" as part of the ensemble soundtrack of the film Striker
, starring his close friend Siddharth
, which received thoroughly positive reviews. His latest soundtracks, which got popular among the masses, include Vaanam
, Naan Mahaan Alla, Goa
and Paiyaa. He is currently working on nearly ten projects simultaneously, including Venkat Prabhu
's Mankatha
, starring Ajith Kumar
, Ameer's
Aadhi Bhagavan
, the N. Lingusamy directorial Vettai
, Vishnuvardhan
's first Telugu film The Shadow
, the Mani Ratnam
-produced Bloody Paki
, his first proper Bollywood project, and half-a-dozen other small-budget films.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's collaborations with several film directors such as Selvaraghavan
, Ameer Sultan
, Vishnuvardhan
, Venkat Prabhu
and Linguswamy
have always resulted in highly successful soundtracks. Likewise he has often worked together with noted Tamil
poet Vaali
and young Tamil lyricists including Na. Muthukumar
, Pa. Vijay and Snehan
to come up with much-loved compositions.
as well. As of August 2011, he has sung over 80 songs, mostly his own composed songs and several times for his father Ilaiyaraaja
and his brother Karthik Raja
. He lent his voice first in 1988, when he was eight years old for a song in the film En Bommukutty Ammavukku
, composed by his father. Since, he frequently sang for his father in films such as Anjali
(1990), Chatriyan (1990), Thalattu Ketkuthamma (1991), Friends
(2001), Kaathal Jaathi (2002) and Ramana
(2003). Under his brother's direction, he had sung in the films Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar (1998) and Ullam Kollai Poguthae
(2001). He had also performed a song for the film Siddu +2 (2010), composed by his friend Dharan
, and had lent his voice for the theme song
for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010
, set to tune by A. R. Rahman
.
However, he is better known as a singer of his own composed songs. Films, featuring some of his most popular songs as a singer, include Thulluvadho Ilamai
, April Maadhathil, Pudhupettai
, Pattiyal
, Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
(in which he had sung all songs), Deepavali, Kattradhu Thamizh, Siva Manasula Sakthi
, Sarvam
, Paiyaa and Naan Mahaan Alla, the latter earning him a Filmfare nomination for the Best Male Playback Singer Award
.
, Unnikrishnan and Nithyashree Mahadevan. However, the album went downright unnoticed. In 2008, he started working on his second album, the rights of which had been acquired by Sony BMG then. Reportedly a bilingual album produced in both Tamil and Hindi, the album never was released.
In 2010, he joined hands with former President of India
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam for a grand music video album titled "Song of Youth
". The popular song of the same title, based on which the album is made, was written by Kalam and is set to tunes by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who, along with Kalam and many other celebrities from the field of sports and entertainment, will feature in the video
as well. The album is a trilingual, produced in the three languages Tamil
, Hindi and English and is expected to release in 2011.
in Toronto, Canada on 25 April 2009. According to Yuvan, the show would have featured around 30 songs, sung by well-known singers and his father Ilaiyaraaja
, as well as some stage dances in between by actresses Sana Khan
and Meenakshi
. However, the concert had been postponed eventually, with Yuvan Shankar stating, that he was working on novel ideas to make the show memorable and hence, postponed the concert.
In October 2009 then, he announced that a world tour, titled "Oru Naalil", is planned with a three-hour stage show
to be held in various cities all over the world. The tour began with a show on 1 December 2009 at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
in Dubai
, United Arab Emirates, featuring performances by singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Karthik
, Harish Raghavendra
and Silambarasan and professional dancers from Mumbai
, which was expected to be followed by shows in Canada, the U. S.
and South Africa. Also it was planned to conduct the shows in Muscat
, Oman and Kuwait
, but following the Dubai concert, the tour was cancelled.
In October 2010, Yuvan Shankar Raja disclosed that he had signed for his first live concert in Chennai
. The concert
, which was sponsored, organized and later telecasted on STAR Vijay
, was held at YMCA Grounds, Nandanam
, Chennai
, on 16 January 2011. Additionally, a promotional music video, "I'll Be There for You", composed and sung by Yuvan Shankar, himself, directed by Vishnuvardhan and shot by Nirav Shah
, was made, while STAR Vijay aired a 3-week, 14 episode serial on Yuvan Shankar Raja as a run-up to the concert.
, India. Chandran hat met him in 2002 as a fan at a music cultural program in London and both fell in love later. Chandran was a London-based singer and the daughter of Dr. C. R. Velayutham and Dr. Sarojini Chandran. They had a secret registered marriage in September 2003 in London, before the formal public wedding was held in 2005 with the consent of their parents. In August 2007, they filed for divorce with mutual consent, which was granted in February 2008, after 6 months. The reason for the divorce was cited to be "irreconcilable differences".
On 1 September 2011, he married Shilpa Mohan at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
. The marriage was held in a simple ceremony with family members and close friends being present only. Shilpa was revealed to be a B.Pharm
graduate from the University of Adelaide
, Australia. A wedding reception
was arranged a day later in Chennai.
Forthcoming releases
Nominations
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
and soundtrack composer
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan
Aravindhan
Aravindhan is a 1997 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer T. Nagarajan, starring Sarath Kumar, Parthiban, Nagma, Oorvasi, Prakash Raj and Visu in lead and pivotal roles. The film marks the debut of noted music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, musician Ilaiyaraaja's youngest son, and the...
. After initial struggle, he made his big break with the Thulluvadho Ilamai
Thulluvadho Ilamai
Thulluvadho Ilamai is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Kasthuri Raja, written by his son Selvaraghavan and introducing his second son Dhanush as an actor, who enacted the lead role character...
soundtrack (2001), and evolved as one of Tamil cinema's most sought-after composers by the mid-2000s.
Within a span of 14 years, Yuvan Shankar Raja worked on over 85 films. Considered a versatile composer, he often strives for different and innovative music and has explored and used elements of various genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s in his compositions that range from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. He is particularly known for his use of western music elements
Western music
Western music may refer to:* Classical music, a genre of art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music from the 10th century onward...
in his pieces and often credited with having introduced Hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
to the Tamil film and music industry and having started the "era of remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es" in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. Being immensely popular among the younger generation, he is frequently referred to as the "Rockstar", and the "Youth Icon of Tamil Film Music". In addition, Yuvan Shankar Raja is recognized for his background score in films
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
(re-recording) that have fetched him accolades among critics.
He has won two Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the South Indian film industry. The awards are separately given for Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films...
; the Best Music Director Award
Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil)
The Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given to film composers by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil films. The award was first given in 1992, A. R. Rahman being the first recipient of this award for his film score and soundtrack of Roja.There have been...
in 2004 for his score in the drama 7G Rainbow Colony
7G Rainbow Colony
7G Rainbow Colony is a 2004 Tamil drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring Ravi Krishna, who debuted in this film, and Sonia Agarwal in lead roles, with music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by Arvind Krishna. The film, released on 15 October 2004, met with...
at age 25, remaining the youngest winner of the award, and the Special Jury Award
Filmfare Special Award (South)
The Filmfare Special Jury Award is given by the Filmfare Magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for South Indian films. It acknowledges a special and unique performance and encourages artistes, filmmakers and musicians to break new ground in drama, direction, music and acting. It is...
in 2009 for his Telugu musical Oy!. Besides, he received two nominations for Filmfare Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil feature films.-The list:...
in 2006 and the Cyprus International Film Festival Award
Cyprus International Film Festival
The Cyprus International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cyprus. It is a non-profit organisation. The festival features premieres and screenings of many films, and contains competitive categories including Feature, Short, Documentary, Video art, Video Dance and animation...
in 2006 for Raam
Raam (film)
The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, joining with director Ameer Sultan. The soundtrack, released on 12 January 2005, features 7 tracks, including one instrumental. The lyrics were written by Snehan...
, becoming the first and only Indian composer to win it.
Early life
Born on 31 August 1979, in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India into a Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
family, Yuvan Shankar Raja is the third and youngest child of musician and film composer Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
and his wife Jeeva. He is the younger brother of music director Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja is a Tamil musician from Chennai, India. He made his debut as music composer in the Tamil film Alexander.-Personal life:Karthik Raja is the eldest son of musician Ilaiyaraaja and Jeeva. His brother Yuvan Shankar Raja and sister Bhavatharini, who are also Kollywood music directors and...
and playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
-cum-music director Bhavatharini
Bhavatharini
Bhavatharani is an Indian Tamil singer and music director. She is the daughter of film composer Ilaiyaraaja and her brothers are the noted film composers Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja and has mostly sung songs under her father and her brothers' direction...
. Yuvan once confessed, that his brother Karthik Raja is more talented than him, but did not get a successful break into the music business, since he did not get a "good team to work with". His father as well as his siblings have sung many songs under his direction.
Film director and film composer Gangai Amaran
Gangai Amaran
Gangai Amaran is a Music director, Lyricist, Script writer, Actor and Film director in Tamil films. He is the younger brother of noted music director Ilayaraaja and father of actors Venkat Prabhu and Premji Amaren.-As script writer:...
and R. D. Bhaskar are his uncles and their sons Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
, Premji Amaran and Parthi Bhaskar, who are working in the Tamil film industry as well, are his cousins. Moreover, Yuvan Shankar and both the sons of Gangai Amaran, do often associate with each other and have often worked together, the results of which have been very successful. Venkat Prabhu's films have had all musical score by Yuvan, while Premji had assisted him composing music for some years, before becoming an independent composer aside from the fact, that both have sung several songs under the direction of Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Yuvan Shankar did his schooling at St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School
St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School
St. Bede's is a school in Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India. The school was started in 1907 to provide Catholic education for children of European and Anglo-Indian descent.-The first 25 years:St. Bede’s School was born in 1907...
in Chennai, and discontinued his education after his tenth class. He started learning music from Jacob Master, attending piano classes at "Musee Musical" in Chennai, which is affiliated to Trinity College in London, UK.
Yuvan Shankar Raja stated, that he always wanted to become a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and travel "all around the world", but as he grew up "with music around him", he eventually became a musician. He admires the work of his father and other composers such as S. D. Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
, R. D. Burman
Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera...
, M. S. Viswanathan
M. S. Viswanathan
Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan , is a Tamil music director. He is popularly known as "Mellisai Mannar" . His major works over the past five decades have been in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films...
and Naushad
Naushad
Naushad Ali was an Indian musician. He was one of the foremost music directors for Bollywood films, and is particularly known for popularizing the use of classical music in films.His first film as an independent music director was Prem Nagar in 1940...
and the voices of singers Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singers in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies...
, P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela
P. Susheela
Pulapaka Susheela is an Indian playback singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, she has recorded songs in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu, Badaga and Sinhalese.-Personal life:She is the daughter of Pulapaka...
.
Early years (1997-2000)
In 1996, following his mother's suggestion to take up music as a profession, Yuvan Shankar Raja started composing tunes for an album. It was then that T. SivaT. Siva
T. Siva is an Indian film producer and distributor in Chennai, India. He has produced 15 films including Saroja and Kanimozhi. He owns the production company, Amma Creations . - Filmography :-External links:...
, the producer of the Tamil language film Aravindhan
Aravindhan
Aravindhan is a 1997 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer T. Nagarajan, starring Sarath Kumar, Parthiban, Nagma, Oorvasi, Prakash Raj and Visu in lead and pivotal roles. The film marks the debut of noted music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, musician Ilaiyaraaja's youngest son, and the...
, after hearing some of the tunes, asked to compose a trailer music. As the producer was so much impressed of which, he gave Yuvan Shankar the assignment to compose the entire film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
including a soundtrack for that film. After consulting and getting consent from his parents, he accepted the offer; his music career started. His entry into the Tamil film and music industry had happened at age 16, thus becoming one of the most youngest composers ever in the industry, which, he says, was "purely accidental".
However, both the soundtrack album as well as the film itself failed to attract audiences and to do well and Yuvan Shankar Raja's following projects Velai
Velai
Velai is a 1998 Indian Tamil film, directed by Suresh and written by Balakumaran, starring Vignesh, Indaraja, Nassar in lead roles. The film, produced by J...
(1998) and Kalyana Galatta
Kalyana Galatta
Kalyana Galatta is a 1998 Indian Tamil comedy film written and directed by Rajkapoor, starring Sathyaraj, Mantra and Khushboo in lead roles. The film, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, filmed by Rajarathinam and edited by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan, released on August 1, 1998.-Cast:* Sathyaraj as...
(1998) were not successful either; his compositions for these films did not receive good reviews or responses, with one reviewer labelling the music and re-recording in the latter as "cacophony" and "poor". This eventually caused that he hardly got any film projects and assignments. During this time of struggling, he was approached and assigned by director Vasanth
Vasanth
Vasanth is an Indian film director and screenwriter, working in the Tamil film industry. Following a stint as journalist and after assisting K. Balachander, he made his directorial debut with Keladi Kanmani in 1990, which along with the trendsetting Aasai and Rhythm , are considered his finest...
to compose the music for his film Poovellam Kettuppar
Poovellam Kettuppar
Poovellam Kettuppar is a 1999 Tamil film written and directed by Vasanth, which stars Surya Sivakumar and Jyothika in leading roles. The film, starring Vijayakumar, Nassar, Vadivelu, Ambika, Manorama in pivotal roles, was released on 6 August 1999...
(1999). The soundtrack received very positive response, bring described as "fresh" and "different", with a critic from The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
citing that his "absolutely enchanting musical score [...] bears testimony to his ‘Raja’ surname." The album became very popular, particularly songs like "Irava Pagala" and "Chudithar Aninthu", gaining him first time notice, especially among young people and children. The album would make possible his first breakthrough in the industry and proved to be a major turning point in his career. After working for two Sundar C. films, Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga
Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga
Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga is a 1999 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by Sundar C., starring Karthik and Rambha in lead and the likes of Goundamani, Vivek, Vinu Chakravarthy, Anju among others in supporting roles. The film, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and filmed by U. K...
(1999) and Rishi
Rishi (film)
The film score and soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who teamed up with Sundar C. for the second time after Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga. The soundtrack released in October 2000 and features 6 tracks overall with lyrics penned by Pazhani Bharathi, Pa. Vijay and producer Panju Arunachalam....
(2000), which both fared averagely at the box office, he got to work for A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:A. R. Murugadoss was born in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. He studied B.A. in Bishop Heber College, Trichy. In the College he had the great affinity towards Tamil films and friends...
' directorial debut in 2000, the action flick Dheena
Dheena
Dheena is a 2001 Indian Tamil film starring Ajith Kumar, Suresh Gopi and Laila in lead roles. It marks the directorial debut of A. R. Murugadoss. Ajith plays the title role of Dheena, while Suresh Gopi enacts the role of Ajith's older brother...
starring Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
, which went on to become a blockbuster and Yuvan Shankar Raja's first major successful film. Yuvan Shankar's songs were equally successful, which are considered to have played a major role for the film's great success. whilst his background score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
in the film was also well appreciated.
Rise to prominence (2001-2003)
Thanks to this film's enormous success, he eventually broke into the Tamil music scene as offers were pouring in subsequently. He was mainly approached by many young new directors. In 2001 he had three album releases, the first being Thulluvadho IlamaiThulluvadho Ilamai
Thulluvadho Ilamai is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Kasthuri Raja, written by his son Selvaraghavan and introducing his second son Dhanush as an actor, who enacted the lead role character...
, collaborating with Selvaraghavan
Selvaraghavan
-Personal life:Selvaraghavan is the son of film director Kasthuri Raja, elder brother of actor Dhanush and has two sisters, who are both doctors. On 15 December 2006, he married actress Sonia Agarwal, with whom he had previously worked with on three films...
for the first time. The soundtrack album of Thulluvadho Ilamai particularly appealed to the younger generation. The film itself, marking the debut of Selvaraghavan's brother Dhanush
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry...
, released one year later and became a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
at the Chennai box office. This was followed by Bala's
Bala (director)
Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala is frequently credited with having "revolutionized Tamil cinema", through his realistic, dark and disturbing films that have garnered high critical acclaim...
Nandha
Nandha
The soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, son of noted composer Ilaiyaraaja, who usually scores the music for a Bala film. The soundtrack was released on 21 October 2001 at Hotel Connemara, Chennai by actor Kamal Haasan and director Bharathiraja. It features 6 tracks, out of which two were...
(2001), for which he received rave reviews. He then gained notice by churning out "youthful music" in the college-life
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
based April Maadhathil (2002), the romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
s Kadhal Samrajyam
Kadhal Samrajyam
Kadhal Samrajyam is an unreleased Tamil comedy film which was shot from 2001 onwards. The film, directed by Agathiyan and produced by Panchu Arunachalam's son, Subbu Panchu, starred an array of children of famous actors and technicians...
(2002), and Mounam Pesiyadhe
Mounam Pesiyadhe
Mounam Pesiyadhe is a 2002 Indian Tamil romantic drama film, directed and written by Ameer Sultan, making his directorial debut. It stars Suriya, Trisha, newcomers Nandha and Mahaa and choreographer-turned-actor Anju Mahendra in supporting roles along with several other newcomers, while Laila...
(2002), Ameer's
Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan ; born 5 December 1966) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil film industry. He has directed three films and has gained notable critical praise for two of them, the mystery thriller Raam and the drama Paruthiveeran...
directorial debut film, and the triangular love story
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
Punnagai Poove
Punnagai Poove
Not in the soundtrackOther music featured in the film include:# "Idhu Innaisaiya" - sung by Hema Sardesai & Yuvan Shankar Raja, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
(2002), in which he also made his on-screen debut, appearing in some scenes and one song sequence. At the same time he made his Telugu debut with Seshu
Seshu
Seshu is a 2002 Indian Telugu film starring Dr. Rajasekhar in the lead role, directed by his wife Jeevitha Rajasekhar. It is a remake of the 1999 Tamil film Sethu, directed by Bala, starring Vikram as the protagonist. The film, starring Kaveri, Jyoti Lakshmi, Ganesh and Nassar in supporting roles,...
and Malli Malli Chudali
Malli Malli Chudali
Malli Malli Choodali is a 2002 Indian Telugu film, written and directed by newcomer Pawans Sreedhar, starring Venu Thottempudi and Janani, a newcomer from Mumbai, in lead and the likes of Vizag Prasad, 'Costumes' Krishna, Sobha Rani, Ali and Brahmanandam among others in supporting roles...
and also composed for the Tamil films Junior Senior
Junior Senior (film)
Junior Senior is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Ennavale fame Suresh, starring Mammootty, Hamsavardhan and former Miss Malaysia Leena in lead roles...
and Pop Carn, starring Malayalam actors Mammootty
Mammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
and Mohan Lal, respectively, all of which performing poorly at the box offices, though.
In 2003 Selvaraghavan's first independent directorial, the drama-thriller film Kaadhal Kondein released, which is considered a milestone for Yuvan Shankar Raja. His work in the film, particularly his background score, was unanimously praised, leading to the release of a separate CD consisting of several film score pieces, a la "Hollywood-style", which was reportedly the first film score CD release in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Furthermore, the film went on to become a blockbuster, cementing the film's lead artist Dhanush and Yuvan Shankar in the Tamil film and music industry. The same year, he worked in Vishnuvardhan's
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
debut film, Kurumbu
Kurumbu
Kurumbu is a 2003 Indian Tamil film directed by Vishnuvardhan, making his directorial debut. The film, a remake of the 2002 Telugu film Allari, stars Allari Naresh, who also starred in the original version, which marked his acting debut, along with the female artists Diya and Nikita Thukral in lead...
, which featured the first remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
song in a Tamil film. By that time, in a career spanning less than a decade, Yuvan Shankar Raja had established himself as one of the leading and most-sought after music directors in the Tamil film industry, despite having worked predominantly with newcomers and in low-budget productions.
Success (2004-2007)
Yuvan Shankar's 2004 releases, 7G Rainbow Colony7G Rainbow Colony
7G Rainbow Colony is a 2004 Tamil drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring Ravi Krishna, who debuted in this film, and Sonia Agarwal in lead roles, with music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by Arvind Krishna. The film, released on 15 October 2004, met with...
, another Selvaraghavan film, and Silambarasan's Manmadhan
Manmadhan
Manmadhan is a 2004 blockbuster Indian Tamil thriller film written and Directed by A.J. Murugan, STR plays the lead title role. The film has Jyothika enacting the lead female role, Goundamani, Sindhu Tolani, Atul Kulkarni and Santhanam playing supporting roles and guest appearances by Mandira...
, were both critically and commercially successful films, featuring acclaimed as well as popular music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, which also contributed to the films' successes. His work in the former, in particular, got critically acclaimed and eventually led him to win the Best Music Direction Award
Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil)
The Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given to film composers by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil films. The award was first given in 1992, A. R. Rahman being the first recipient of this award for his film score and soundtrack of Roja.There have been...
at the 2004 Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the South Indian film industry. The awards are separately given for Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films...
; receiving the award at the age of 25, he remains the youngest winning music composer of the award. From since, he has had nine to ten releases every year on average, turning him into one of the most busiest and prolific Indian film composers.
His first of nine album releases of 2005 was Raam. His score for the Ameer
Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan ; born 5 December 1966) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil film industry. He has directed three films and has gained notable critical praise for two of them, the mystery thriller Raam and the drama Paruthiveeran...
-directed thriller, labelled as "soul-stirring", fetched him further accolades and eventually yielded a win at the 2006 Cyprus International Film Festival
Cyprus International Film Festival
The Cyprus International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cyprus. It is a non-profit organisation. The festival features premieres and screenings of many films, and contains competitive categories including Feature, Short, Documentary, Video art, Video Dance and animation...
for Best Musical score in a Feature Film, the first such award for an Indian composer. His success streak continued with his following releases of that year, low-budget films such as Arinthum Ariyamalum
Arinthum Ariyamalum
Arinthum Ariyamalum is a 2005 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan that stars Prakash Raj along with newcomers Arya, Navdeep and Samiksha in lead and Adithya and Krishna in supporting roles. The film's music is composed by top director, Yuvan Shankar Raja...
, Kanda Naal Mudhal
Kanda Naal Mudhal
Kanda Naal Mudhal is a 2005 Indian Tamil romance film written and directed by newcomer V. Priya, who had earlier assisted Mani Ratnam. Produced by Prakash Raj under the Duet Films banner, the film stars Prasanna, Laila and Karthik Kumar in the lead roles and Revathi Menon, and Lakshmi all play in...
and Sandakozhi
Sandakozhi
Sandakozhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy and produced by Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Film Corporation. The film stars Vishal, Meera Jasmine, Rajkiran and Lal in lead roles, whilst Suman Setty, Raja, Shanmugarajan and Ganja Karuppu essay...
surprisingly becoming successful ventures at the box office, since also Yuvan Shankar's compositions like "Theepidikka", "Panithuli" and "Dhavani Potta" from the respective soundtracks enjoyed popularity and played an important role for the films's successes. After the release of the soundtrack for the S. J. Suryaah
S. J. Suryaah
S. Justin Selvaraj is an Indian film director, writer, actor, and producer in Kollywood, the Tamil film industry. His screen name is S. J. Surya.- Film career :...
-starring romantic comedy, Kalvanin Kadhali that also enjoyed popularity post the film's release, his final album of 2005, Pudhupettai
Pudhupettai
Pudhupettai is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring his brother Dhanush in the lead, whilst Sneha and Sonia Agarwal enact the lead female character roles...
, released, which saw him once again collaborating with director Selvaraghavan
Selvaraghavan
-Personal life:Selvaraghavan is the son of film director Kasthuri Raja, elder brother of actor Dhanush and has two sisters, who are both doctors. On 15 December 2006, he married actress Sonia Agarwal, with whom he had previously worked with on three films...
. The ten-track experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
album, receiving exceptionally rave reviews, was considered Yuvan Shankar Raja's finest work till then and being hailed as a "musical masterpiece". The soundtrack and score of the film featured a traditional orchestral score played by the "Chapraya Symphony" of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, the first time in a Tamil film. Critics felt that this project, in particular, proved his abilities and talent to produce innovative and experimentative scores as well. Karthik Srinivasan from milliblog commented that "Yuvan’s imagination soars way beyond the confines of a Tamil movie OST", describing the album as "clearly one of the most innovative albums in recent times". The film itself, releasing only in May 2006, did average business, despite opening to outstanding reviews.
He next worked on the romantic comedies Happy and Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu is a 2006 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director Vijay Milton. It starring Bharath and Mallika Kapoor in lead and Arun Vijay, Deepu, Renuka and M. S. Baskar in vital supporting roles...
and the gangster film Pattiyal
Pattiyal
Pattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
, which all released in early 2006. His Happy songs and score received positive reviews, with critics labelling the "youthful music" as "excellent", and the film's "main strength", whilst his score for Pattiyal was highly praised by critics; a Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
reviewer wrote, "Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music and background score is the life of the film". Further more, both films went on to become very successful ventures, both commercially and critically. His subsequent releases that year include Silambarasan's debut directorial, Vallavan
Vallavan
Vallavan is a 2006Tamil film written and directed by T. R. Silambarasan, starring himself in the title role along with Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya whilst Santhanam, Premji Amaren, Sathyan and S. Ve. Shekhar play supporting roles. The dialogues are written by noted writer Balakumaran, whilst...
and the action entertainer Thimiru
Thimiru
Thimiru is a 2006 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by debutant Tarun Gopi. The film stars Vishal Krishna, Reema Sen and Sriya Reddy in lead and former football player I. M. Vijayan, Manoj K. Jayan and Vadivelu in supporting roles, whilst Kiran Rathod appears in an item number. The...
. Yuvan Shankar Raja was hailed as the "real hero" of the former, which featured some of the year's most listened tracks like "Loosu Penne" and "Yammadi Aathadi", while the latter film ranked amongst the year's highest-grossing films. In November 2006, the Paruthiveeran
Paruthiveeran
Paruthiveeran is a 2007 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Ameer Sultan. The film stars Karthi in his feature film debut as the titular character, with Priyamani as the female lead and Ponvannan, Saravanan and Ganja Karuppu and Sujatha essaying supporting roles...
soundtrack album got released, which saw the composer foraying into pure rural folk music, using traditional music instruments. Though initially releasing to mixed reviews, with critics doubting whether the songs could attract modern youth audience, his first attempt at rural music turned out to be a major success, following the film's outstanding run at the box office. The film, Ameer's third feature film as well as Karthi's debut venture, received universal critical acclaim after its release in February 2007 and became a blockbuster, whilst particularly the song "Oororam Puliyamaram" was a chartbuster number in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
In 2007, he had a record ten album releases in one year. The first was the soundtrack of the romantic drama film Deepavali, following which the audios of the sports comedy film Chennai 600028
Chennai 600028
Chennai 600028 is a 2007 Tamil sports comedy film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, making his directorial debut. The film stars Shiva, Jai, Premji Amaran, Aravind Akash, Nithin Sathya and newcomers Ajay Raj, Ranjith, Vijay Vasanth, Prasanna, Karthik and Arun in the lead along with...
, the Telugu family entertainer Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule is a 2007 Telugu language film, written and directed by Tamil film director Selvaraghavan, making his directorial debut in the Telugu film industry. The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan in the lead and Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sriram) in supporting roles...
, Vasanth
Vasanth
Vasanth is an Indian film director and screenwriter, working in the Tamil film industry. Following a stint as journalist and after assisting K. Balachander, he made his directorial debut with Keladi Kanmani in 1990, which along with the trendsetting Aasai and Rhythm , are considered his finest...
's thriller film Satham Podathey
Satham Podathey
Satham Podathey is a 2007 Tamil psychological thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Shankar and Senthilnathan. It stars Prithviraj, Padmapriya and Nithin Sathya in the lead roles whilst Nassar, Suhasini, Premji Amaren and Raaghav play cameo roles. The film, which is based...
and the romantic films Thottal Poo Malarum
Thottal Poo Malarum
Thottal Poo Malarum is a 2007 Tamil romance film written and directed by P. Vasu, starring his son Sakthi Vasu and Gowri Munjal, two newcomers, in lead roles, whilst Rajkiran, Suganya, Nassar, Vadivelu and Santhanam essayed supporting roles. Music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
and Kannamoochi Yenada
Kannamoochi Yenada
Kannamoochi Yenada? is a 2007 Tamil comedy-drama film written and directed by V. Priya. The film stars Sathyaraj, Prithviraj, Sandhya and Raadhika Sarathkumar in lead and Sripriya, Manobala and Radharavi in supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
released, with the former three being well-received besides garnering positive reviews. The films, Chennai 600028, Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
's directorial debut, and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, Selvaraghavan
Selvaraghavan
-Personal life:Selvaraghavan is the son of film director Kasthuri Raja, elder brother of actor Dhanush and has two sisters, who are both doctors. On 15 December 2006, he married actress Sonia Agarwal, with whom he had previously worked with on three films...
's Telugu debut, in particular, were high commercial successes and became one of the year's most successful films in Tamil and Telugu, respectively. In late 2007 then, the audio and the film Kattradhu Thamizh got released. The soundtrack album, which was released as Tamil M. A., as well as the film itself, had been met with exceptionally positive reviews and critical acclaim. The music was widely considered a "musical sensation" and noted to be a proof of Yuvan Shankar Raja's "composing skills". However, despite outstanding reviews by critics, the venture failed to evoke the interest of the audience and did not enjoy much popularity. His final release of 2007 was Billa
Billa (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
, a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth-starrer of the same title
Billa (1980 film)
Billa is a 1980 Tamil film produced by K.Balaji and directed by R.Krishnamurthy. The film stars Rajinikanth, Suresh Balaje, Thengai Srinivasan, Manorama, Sripriya, Reena Roy and Major Sundarrajan...
. This film, remade by Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
, starring Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
in the title role, also featured two remixes from the original version. The film emerged one of the top-grossers of the year, whilst also fetching rave reviews for Yuvan Shankar's stylish musical score.
Recent work (2008-present)
In 2008, five films, featuring Yuvan's music were released, two of them being the Tamil and Kannada remakes of Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, titled Yaaradi Nee MohiniYaaradi Nee Mohini
Yaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,...
and Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu
Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu
Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu is a 2008 Indian Kannada film starring film producer Aditya Babu, making his debut as an actor, and Ramya in lead roles...
, respectively, which partly featured the original score and songs. The Tamil version, in particular, was able to repeat the success of the original film, emerging a high commercial success, while yielding Yuvan his second Filmfare nomination. The other releases that year include Seeman's Vaazhthugal
Vaazhthugal
Vaazhthugal is a 2008 Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Seeman of Thambi fame. The film stars Madhavan and Bhavana in lead roles along with Venkat Prabhu, Ilavarasu, Na. Muthusamy and R. K, who play supporting roles. Produced by Siva for Amma Creations and with music scored by Yuvan...
, Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
's comedy-thriller Saroja, Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
's action thriller Aegan
Aegan
Aegan is a 2008 Tamil action and comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International based on the 2004 Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na...
and Silambarasan Rajendar's masala flick
Masala (film genre)
Masala is a term given to films of Indian cinema that mix various genres in one film. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. These films tend to be musicals that include songs filmed in picturesque locations...
Silambattam
Silambattam (film)
Silambattam is a 2008 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director Saravanan, making his directorial debut. The film stars Silambarasan Rajendar in dual roles while Sneha, Sana Khan, Prabhu and Kishore also play lead roles. Nedumudi Venu, Raaghav, Santhanam and...
, out of which, Saroja and Silambattam proved to be successful at the box office, with Yuvan Shankar's score in the former and his songs in the latter garnering accolades and several awards at the 2009 Isaiyaruvi Tamil Music Awards. Out of his nine 2009 releases, hardly any managed to succeed, in spite of receiving widespread critical acclaim, since the respective films failed at the box office. Excluding the romantic comedy Siva Manasula Sakthi
Siva Manasula Sakthi
Siva Manasula Sakthi is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by debutante Rajesh. It stars Jeeva and newcomer Anuya Bhagvath, a student of Pune Film Institute, in the lead roles, with Santhanam, Urvashi and Sathyan appearing in supporting and Arya appearing in a cameo role...
, featuring his most popular song of the year "Oru Kal", his other films were box-office bombs, while few songs like "Siragual" (Sarvam
Sarvam
Sarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D...
) and "Aedho Saigiral" (Vaamanan) still became popular. He had also provided a rural score again in Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum
Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum
Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum is a 2009 Indian Tamil drama film, directed by debutante Rajamohan, who earlier worked under renowned directors like A. Venkatesh and S. D. Vijay Milton, which stars newcomers Ramakrishnan and Thananya in lead roles. It is produced by SPB Charan under his banner...
and a sarangi
Sarangi
The Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
-based score for the urban action drama of Ameer's
Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan ; born 5 December 1966) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil film industry. He has directed three films and has gained notable critical praise for two of them, the mystery thriller Raam and the drama Paruthiveeran...
Yogi
Yogi (2009 film)
Yogi is a 2009 Indian Tamil action-drama film directed by Subramaniya Shiva, who earlier directed films like Thiruda Thirudi and Pori. Starring director-turned-actor Ameer Sultan, Madhumitha, Swathi, Ponvannan, lyricist Snehan, making his acting debut, and Ganja Karuppu in lead roles, the film is...
, both going unnoticed. His score for his Telugu romantic musical Oy!, meanwhile, fetched him the Special Jury Award
Filmfare Special Award (South)
The Filmfare Special Jury Award is given by the Filmfare Magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for South Indian films. It acknowledges a special and unique performance and encourages artistes, filmmakers and musicians to break new ground in drama, direction, music and acting. It is...
at the 2010 South Filmfare Awards
57th Filmfare Awards South
The 57th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honoring the winners and nominees of the best of South Indian cinema in 2009 was held on August 7, 2010 in Chennai, India.-Nominations:...
.
In late 2009, the soundtrack album
Paiyaa (soundtrack)
Paiyaa is the soundtrack to the 2010 Tamil romantic-action film, Paiyaa, directed by N. Linguswamy and starring Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia. The soundtrack album originally includes five and an additional track composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and was released on November 22, 2010 by Think Music...
of Paiyaa released, which was regarded as a "blockbuster album" and "magnum opus", as it went on to become exceptionally popular, much prior to the film's release, and probably one of Yuvan Shankar Raja's biggest success of his career. The song "Thuli Thuli
Thuli Thuli
"Thuli Thuli" is a song from the 2010 Tamil feature film Paiyaa, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The song, with lyrics by Na. Muthukumar and performed by Haricharan and Tanvi Shah, was released as part of the soundtrack album of the film on 22 November 2009.Lyrically, the song tells the feelings of...
" had become the first Tamil song to be featured in the India Top 20 list for April 2010, indicating it was the most frequently played Tamil song on all Indian FM radio stations in the history of Tamil film music. The film itself became one the highest earners of the year, particularly supported by Yuvan's score and songs. Along with Paiyaa, songs from three more films for which he composed music that year - Naan Mahaan Alla, Baana Kaathadi and Boss Engira Bhaskaran
Boss Engira Bhaskaran
Following the success of Siva Manasula Sakthi, Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack of Boss Engira Bhaskaran, too. The soundtrack album, which was released on 27 August 2010 at Sathyam Cinemas, contains 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na...
- featured among the Top 10 chartbusters of the year.
Besides Tamil films, he has also scored music for films in other South Indian languages
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Around 35 of the Tamil films, for which he had composed music, were afterwards dubbed into Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
or Malayalam language
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
s as were the respective soundtracks. Apart from these ones, he also worked "straightly" on Telugu projects such as Seshu
Seshu
Seshu is a 2002 Indian Telugu film starring Dr. Rajasekhar in the lead role, directed by his wife Jeevitha Rajasekhar. It is a remake of the 1999 Tamil film Sethu, directed by Bala, starring Vikram as the protagonist. The film, starring Kaveri, Jyoti Lakshmi, Ganesh and Nassar in supporting roles,...
, Malli Malli Chudali
Malli Malli Chudali
Malli Malli Choodali is a 2002 Indian Telugu film, written and directed by newcomer Pawans Sreedhar, starring Venu Thottempudi and Janani, a newcomer from Mumbai, in lead and the likes of Vizag Prasad, 'Costumes' Krishna, Sobha Rani, Ali and Brahmanandam among others in supporting roles...
, Happy, Raam
Raam (2006 film)
Raam is a 2006 Indian Telugu film written and directed by N.Shankar starring Nitin in the lead role, Genelia D'Souza and Hrishitaa Bhatt in supporting roles and Krishnam Raju in a very vital role...
, Raju Bhai
Raju Bhai
Raju Bhai is a 2007 Indian Telugu drama film directed by Suriya Kiran, starring Manoj Manchu and Sheela in lead and Dhandapani, Tanikella Bharani and Brahmanandam in supporting roles...
and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule is a 2007 Telugu language film, written and directed by Tamil film director Selvaraghavan, making his directorial debut in the Telugu film industry. The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan in the lead and Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sriram) in supporting roles...
, making him a well-known popular composer in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, too. His latest Telugu album Oy! has become a grand success as it topped the charts for several weeks. Yuvan's latest album of 2011, PANJAA
Panjaa
Panjaa , is an upcoming Indian Telugu action film directed by Vishnuvardhan, starring Pawan Kalyan. The film, jointly produced by Arka Mediaworks and Sanghamitra Art Productions, also stars Sarah-Jane Dias, Anjali Lavania, Jackie Shroff and Sesh Adivi, while featuring music scored by Yuvan Shankar...
has created all time records, creating new waves (trends) as a rocking album in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2010 he composed his first Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
song "Haq Se" as part of the ensemble soundtrack of the film Striker
Striker (film)
The soundtrack album of Striker consists of 8 songs composed by various artists such as Vishal Bhardwaj, noted Tamil composer Yuvan Shankar Raja in his Bollywood debut, Amit Trivedi, rapper Blaaze, Shailendra Barve and lyricist-singer Swanand Kirkire, whilst lyrics are penned by Nitin Raikwar,...
, starring his close friend Siddharth
Siddharth Narayan
Siddharth Suryanaraynan , popularly known and credited as Siddharth, is an Indian film actor, playback singer and screenplay writer. After his business management studies, Siddharth chose to work in film making and worked as an assistant director before making his acting debut in the 2003 Tamil...
, which received thoroughly positive reviews. His latest soundtracks, which got popular among the masses, include Vaanam
Vaanam
Vaanam is an Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Krish. A remake of his 2010 Telugu film Vedam, the film features an ensemble cast of Silambarasan, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj and Saranya...
, Naan Mahaan Alla, Goa
Goa (soundtrack)
Goa is the soundtrack album by Yuvan Shankar Raja to the 2010 romantic comedy film Goa, directed by Venkat Prabhu that stars Jai, Vaibhav, Premji Amaran, Sneha, Piaa Bajpai and Melanie Marie Jobstreibitzer and is produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth's Ocher Studios...
and Paiyaa. He is currently working on nearly ten projects simultaneously, including Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
's Mankatha
Mankatha
Mankatha is a 2011 Tamil action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu. It features Ajith Kumar in the lead role, starring in his 50th film, along with an ensemble cast including Arjun, Trisha Krishnan, Vaibhav Reddy, Lakshmi Rai, Andrea Jeremiah, Premji Amaren and Anjali...
, starring Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
, Ameer's
Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan ; born 5 December 1966) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil film industry. He has directed three films and has gained notable critical praise for two of them, the mystery thriller Raam and the drama Paruthiveeran...
Aadhi Bhagavan
Aadhi Bhagavan
Aadhi Bhagavan is an upcoming Tamil romance film written and directed by Ameer Sultan , which stars Jayam Ravi and Neetu Chandra in the lead roles. Produced by DMK politician J. Anbazhagan, the film, featuring music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by R. B. Gurudev and K...
, the N. Lingusamy directorial Vettai
Vettai
Vettai is an upcoming Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy, that stars Madhavan, Arya, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul in the lead roles. The film revolves around two brothers settled in Thoothukudi, with the elder one working as a police officer...
, Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan
Sampath Kumar , popularly known as Vishnuvardhan , was a prominent Indian film actor. He has acted in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. He has acted in over 220 movies in total that includes 200 Kannada movies, 5 Hindi movies, 5 Telugu movies, 3 Malayalam movies and 6 Tamil movies...
's first Telugu film The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, the Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
-produced Bloody Paki
Bloody Paki
Bloody Paki is an upcoming Hindi action film inspired by the real story of a Punjabi immigrant, set against the backdrop of the London terrorist attacks in 2005. It is directed by Shiva, while Shaad Ali is the executive producer, both of them have been assistant directors under Mani Ratnam, who...
, his first proper Bollywood project, and half-a-dozen other small-budget films.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's collaborations with several film directors such as Selvaraghavan
Selvaraghavan
-Personal life:Selvaraghavan is the son of film director Kasthuri Raja, elder brother of actor Dhanush and has two sisters, who are both doctors. On 15 December 2006, he married actress Sonia Agarwal, with whom he had previously worked with on three films...
, Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan
Ameer Sultan ; born 5 December 1966) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil film industry. He has directed three films and has gained notable critical praise for two of them, the mystery thriller Raam and the drama Paruthiveeran...
, Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
, Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
and Linguswamy
N. Linguswamy
N. Linguswamy is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, working primarily in Tamil cinema based in Chennai. He made his directorial debut with the family-drama Aanandham in 2001 and followed it up with the highly successful action films Run , Sandakozhi , Bheema and Paiyaa...
have always resulted in highly successful soundtracks. Likewise he has often worked together with noted Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
poet Vaali
Vaali (poet)
Vaali is a Tamil poet and lyricist who writes Tamil poetry and film song lyrics. Most recently he has extended lyrics for a couple of songs in Engeyum Kaadhal for the music of Harris Jayaraj. He has also acted in several films, most notably Hey Ram, Parthale Paravasam and Poi Kaal Kudhirai...
and young Tamil lyricists including Na. Muthukumar
Na. Muthukumar
Na. Muthukumar is a Tamil poet and lyricist, who writes lyrics for Tamil film songs.-Career:Muthukumar began his career wanting to be a director and worked under Balu Mahendra for four years. But then he became a lyricist, beginning with the lyrics for the songs of the Tamil film Veera Nadai,...
, Pa. Vijay and Snehan
Snehan
Snehan is a Tamil poet, lyricist. Debuting in the film Putham Pudhiya Poove, he has written lyrics for more than 600 songs.-Career:...
to come up with much-loved compositions.
Playback singing
Besides, Yuvan Shankar Raja is a noted playback singerPlayback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
as well. As of August 2011, he has sung over 80 songs, mostly his own composed songs and several times for his father Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
and his brother Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja is a Tamil musician from Chennai, India. He made his debut as music composer in the Tamil film Alexander.-Personal life:Karthik Raja is the eldest son of musician Ilaiyaraaja and Jeeva. His brother Yuvan Shankar Raja and sister Bhavatharini, who are also Kollywood music directors and...
. He lent his voice first in 1988, when he was eight years old for a song in the film En Bommukutty Ammavukku
En Bommukutty Ammavukku
En Bommukutty Ammavuku is a 1988 Indian film starring Geetu Mohandas, Satyaraj, Suhasini and Raghuvaran is remake of Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku by Fazil.-Plot:...
, composed by his father. Since, he frequently sang for his father in films such as Anjali
Anjali (film)
Anjali is a 1990 Tamil-language Indian feature film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Raghuvaran, Revathi, Prabhu, Tarun, Shruthi and Shamili. The musical film's score and soundtrack is composed by Ilaiyaraaja, being his 500th movie. Anjali is about a dying mentally disabled child, and the...
(1990), Chatriyan (1990), Thalattu Ketkuthamma (1991), Friends
Friends (2001 film)
Friends is a 2001 Tamil movie starring Vijay, Surya, Ramesh Khanna, Devayani, Abhinyashree, Vijayalakshmi, Sriman and Vadivelu. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja...
(2001), Kaathal Jaathi (2002) and Ramana
Ramana (film)
Ramana is a 2002 Blockbuster Tamil action film directed by A. R. Murugadoss. The film stars captainVijaykanth and Simran. The film, released during Diwali, ran for 150 days in theatres...
(2003). Under his brother's direction, he had sung in the films Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar (1998) and Ullam Kollai Poguthae
Ullam Kollai Poguthae
Ullam Kollai Poguthae is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2001. This film revolves around Prabhu deva, Anjala Zaveri, Karthick and Deepa Venkat.* Dhamu* Senthil...
(2001). He had also performed a song for the film Siddu +2 (2010), composed by his friend Dharan
Dharan (music director)
Dharan is an Indian music composer, who mainly produces film scores and soundtracks in the Tamil film industry. He rose to fame with Parijatham, featuring the hit single "Unnai Kandene", which marked his debut as a film score composer.-Early life:...
, and had lent his voice for the theme song
Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam
"Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam" is a Tamil song composed by A. R. Rahman, penned by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and performed by several leading Tamil artistes of over three generations. It is the official theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010,...
for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010
World Classical Tamil Conference 2010
The World Classical Tamil Conference 2010 was an international meet by Tamil Scholars, Poets, Political leaders and Celebrities from all around the world. It was held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu between 23 June and 27 June, 2010.- Venue :...
, set to tune by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
.
However, he is better known as a singer of his own composed songs. Films, featuring some of his most popular songs as a singer, include Thulluvadho Ilamai
Thulluvadho Ilamai
Thulluvadho Ilamai is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Kasthuri Raja, written by his son Selvaraghavan and introducing his second son Dhanush as an actor, who enacted the lead role character...
, April Maadhathil, Pudhupettai
Pudhupettai
Pudhupettai is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring his brother Dhanush in the lead, whilst Sneha and Sonia Agarwal enact the lead female character roles...
, Pattiyal
Pattiyal
Pattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
, Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu
Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu is a 2006 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director Vijay Milton. It starring Bharath and Mallika Kapoor in lead and Arun Vijay, Deepu, Renuka and M. S. Baskar in vital supporting roles...
(in which he had sung all songs), Deepavali, Kattradhu Thamizh, Siva Manasula Sakthi
Siva Manasula Sakthi
Siva Manasula Sakthi is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by debutante Rajesh. It stars Jeeva and newcomer Anuya Bhagvath, a student of Pune Film Institute, in the lead roles, with Santhanam, Urvashi and Sathyan appearing in supporting and Arya appearing in a cameo role...
, Sarvam
Sarvam
Sarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D...
, Paiyaa and Naan Mahaan Alla, the latter earning him a Filmfare nomination for the Best Male Playback Singer Award
Filmfare Best Male Playback Award (Tamil)
The Tamil Filmfare Best Male Playback Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Tamil films. The award was first presented in 2005 with Karthik as winner....
.
Non-cinematic output
Aside from scoring film music and soundtracks, he also produces personal music albums from time to time. In his very early years, in 1999, when he was not familiar to most people yet, he made the Tamil pop album The Blast, that contained 12 tracks, featuring vocals by Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
, Unnikrishnan and Nithyashree Mahadevan. However, the album went downright unnoticed. In 2008, he started working on his second album, the rights of which had been acquired by Sony BMG then. Reportedly a bilingual album produced in both Tamil and Hindi, the album never was released.
In 2010, he joined hands with former President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam for a grand music video album titled "Song of Youth
Song of Youth
Song of Youth is a 2012 music video album by Yuvan Shankar Raja and directed by Dhanapal Padmanabhan. The popular song of the same title, based on which the album is made, was written by former President of India Dr. A. P. J...
". The popular song of the same title, based on which the album is made, was written by Kalam and is set to tunes by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who, along with Kalam and many other celebrities from the field of sports and entertainment, will feature in the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
as well. The album is a trilingual, produced in the three languages Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Hindi and English and is expected to release in 2011.
Concerts
In January 2009, Yuvan had announced his first live performance, which was planned to be held at the Rogers CentreRogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in Toronto, Canada on 25 April 2009. According to Yuvan, the show would have featured around 30 songs, sung by well-known singers and his father Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
, as well as some stage dances in between by actresses Sana Khan
Sana Khan
Sana Khan is an Indian film actress and model. She is perhaps best known for her appearances in ad films, her item numbers in Indian films and for her performance as Janu in the 2008 Tamil film Silambattam.- Career :...
and Meenakshi
Meenakshi (actress)
Meenakshi, also known as Sharmilee or Sharmili, is a South Indian actress. She made her debut in Kollywood before transitioning to Malayalam films. The Kerala Film Critics Association named her their 2005 debutante artist.-Biography:...
. However, the concert had been postponed eventually, with Yuvan Shankar stating, that he was working on novel ideas to make the show memorable and hence, postponed the concert.
In October 2009 then, he announced that a world tour, titled "Oru Naalil", is planned with a three-hour stage show
Stage Show
Stage Show was a popular music variety series on American television originally hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Produced by Jackie Gleason, the CBS-TV show included the first national television appearances by Elvis Presley.The series began as a...
to be held in various cities all over the world. The tour began with a show on 1 December 2009 at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is in the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It was originally constructed in the early 1980s and has been much improved over the years...
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates, featuring performances by singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Karthik
Karthik (singer)
Karthik is an Indian playback singer.Karthik started his professional singing career as a backing vocalist and has since been a playback singer in Tamil cinema while also single in other Indian languages for various composers...
, Harish Raghavendra
Harish Raghavendra
Harish Raghavendra is an Indian vocalist and actor from Chennai, India. His real name is Harish Ram Srinivas & son to a photographer P.V Raghavendran...
and Silambarasan and professional dancers from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, which was expected to be followed by shows in Canada, the U. S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and South Africa. Also it was planned to conduct the shows in Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, Oman and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, but following the Dubai concert, the tour was cancelled.
In October 2010, Yuvan Shankar Raja disclosed that he had signed for his first live concert in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. The concert
Yuvan - Live in Concert
Yuvan - Live in Concert is a concert by Indian musician Yuvan Shankar Raja. The concert, Yuvan's second in his career, took place on Pongal, 16 January 2011 at the YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai...
, which was sponsored, organized and later telecasted on STAR Vijay
STAR Vijay
STAR Vijay is a popular Indian entertainment channel broadcasting in Tamil. The channel is also available in several other nations as well. The channel is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
, was held at YMCA Grounds, Nandanam
Nandanam
Nandanam is a neighborhood in Chennai, India. It is a busy location and is home to many commercial institutions. This locality also offers a calm residential location...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, on 16 January 2011. Additionally, a promotional music video, "I'll Be There for You", composed and sung by Yuvan Shankar, himself, directed by Vishnuvardhan and shot by Nirav Shah
Nirav Shah
Nirav Shah is an acclaimed Indian cinematographer. He has worked on a number of major box office hits in Hindi and Tamil since his debut with the 2004 Hindi film Paisa Vasool.-Career:...
, was made, while STAR Vijay aired a 3-week, 14 episode serial on Yuvan Shankar Raja as a run-up to the concert.
Personal life
Yuvan Shankar Raja married his longtime girlfriend Sujaya Chandran on 21 March 2005, at Mayor Sri Ramanathan Chettiyar Hall in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India. Chandran hat met him in 2002 as a fan at a music cultural program in London and both fell in love later. Chandran was a London-based singer and the daughter of Dr. C. R. Velayutham and Dr. Sarojini Chandran. They had a secret registered marriage in September 2003 in London, before the formal public wedding was held in 2005 with the consent of their parents. In August 2007, they filed for divorce with mutual consent, which was granted in February 2008, after 6 months. The reason for the divorce was cited to be "irreconcilable differences".
On 1 September 2011, he married Shilpa Mohan at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. The marriage was held in a simple ceremony with family members and close friends being present only. Shilpa was revealed to be a B.Pharm
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree is the basic prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist in many countries. In some countries, it has been superseded by the Master of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees...
graduate from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, Australia. A wedding reception
Wedding reception
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts...
was arranged a day later in Chennai.
Filmography
Released soundtrack albums| Year | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... | Other Languages |
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| 1997 | Aravindhan Aravindhan Aravindhan is a 1997 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer T. Nagarajan, starring Sarath Kumar, Parthiban, Nagma, Oorvasi, Prakash Raj and Visu in lead and pivotal roles. The film marks the debut of noted music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, musician Ilaiyaraaja's youngest son, and the... • |
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| 1998 | Velai Velai Velai is a 1998 Indian Tamil film, directed by Suresh and written by Balakumaran, starring Vignesh, Indaraja, Nassar in lead roles. The film, produced by J... • |
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| Kalyana Galatta Kalyana Galatta Kalyana Galatta is a 1998 Indian Tamil comedy film written and directed by Rajkapoor, starring Sathyaraj, Mantra and Khushboo in lead roles. The film, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, filmed by Rajarathinam and edited by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan, released on August 1, 1998.-Cast:* Sathyaraj as... • |
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| 1999 | Poovellam Kettuppar Poovellam Kettuppar Poovellam Kettuppar is a 1999 Tamil film written and directed by Vasanth, which stars Surya Sivakumar and Jyothika in leading roles. The film, starring Vijayakumar, Nassar, Vadivelu, Ambika, Manorama in pivotal roles, was released on 6 August 1999... • |
Deal (2007) | |
| Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga is a 1999 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by Sundar C., starring Karthik and Rambha in lead and the likes of Goundamani, Vivek, Vinu Chakravarthy, Anju among others in supporting roles. The film, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and filmed by U. K... • |
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| 2000 | Rishi Rishi (film) The film score and soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who teamed up with Sundar C. for the second time after Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga. The soundtrack released in October 2000 and features 6 tracks overall with lyrics penned by Pazhani Bharathi, Pa. Vijay and producer Panju Arunachalam.... • |
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| Dheena Dheena Dheena is a 2001 Indian Tamil film starring Ajith Kumar, Suresh Gopi and Laila in lead roles. It marks the directorial debut of A. R. Murugadoss. Ajith plays the title role of Dheena, while Suresh Gopi enacts the role of Ajith's older brother... • |
Dada (2007) | Jigarwala (Hindi) | |
| 2001 | Thulluvadho Ilamai Thulluvadho Ilamai Thulluvadho Ilamai is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Kasthuri Raja, written by his son Selvaraghavan and introducing his second son Dhanush as an actor, who enacted the lead role character... # • |
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| Manadhai Thirudivittai Manadhai Thirudivittai Manadhai Thirudivittai ; ) is a 2001 Indian Tamil film, written and directed by newcomer R. D. Narayanamurthy, starring Prabhudeva, Kausalya and newcomer Gayatri Jayaraman in lead roles and also stars both the comedians Vivek and Vadivelu, being their most recent colloboration in Tamil films... • |
Manasuna Manasai (2005) | ||
| Nandha Nandha The soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, son of noted composer Ilaiyaraaja, who usually scores the music for a Bala film. The soundtrack was released on 21 October 2001 at Hotel Connemara, Chennai by actor Kamal Haasan and director Bharathiraja. It features 6 tracks, out of which two were... • |
Aakrosham (2006) Pratheekaram (2009) Bala-Surya (2011) |
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| 2002 | Seshu Seshu Seshu is a 2002 Indian Telugu film starring Dr. Rajasekhar in the lead role, directed by his wife Jeevitha Rajasekhar. It is a remake of the 1999 Tamil film Sethu, directed by Bala, starring Vikram as the protagonist. The film, starring Kaveri, Jyoti Lakshmi, Ganesh and Nassar in supporting roles,... • (4 out of 8 songs) |
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| Malli Malli Chudali Malli Malli Chudali Malli Malli Choodali is a 2002 Indian Telugu film, written and directed by newcomer Pawans Sreedhar, starring Venu Thottempudi and Janani, a newcomer from Mumbai, in lead and the likes of Vizag Prasad, 'Costumes' Krishna, Sobha Rani, Ali and Brahmanandam among others in supporting roles... • |
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| Junior Senior Junior Senior (film) Junior Senior is a 2002 Indian Tamil film, directed by Ennavale fame Suresh, starring Mammootty, Hamsavardhan and former Miss Malaysia Leena in lead roles... • |
Hum Hai Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2008) (Hindi) Super (2009) (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| Kadhal Samrajyam Kadhal Samrajyam Kadhal Samrajyam is an unreleased Tamil comedy film which was shot from 2001 onwards. The film, directed by Agathiyan and produced by Panchu Arunachalam's son, Subbu Panchu, starred an array of children of famous actors and technicians... • |
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| April Maadhathil • | Vaallidharu (2004) | Mr. Rangeela (Hindi) | |
| Bala • | |||
| Mounam Pesiyadhe Mounam Pesiyadhe Mounam Pesiyadhe is a 2002 Indian Tamil romantic drama film, directed and written by Ameer Sultan, making his directorial debut. It stars Suriya, Trisha, newcomers Nandha and Mahaa and choreographer-turned-actor Anju Mahendra in supporting roles along with several other newcomers, while Laila... • |
Aadanthe Ado Type Aadanthe Ado Type Aadanthe Ado Type is a 2003 Indian Telugu romance film, directed by E V V Satyanarayana, Sivaji, Aryan Rajesh and Anita Hassanandani in lead and Sindhu Menon, Ambika Krishna, Brahmanandam, Krishna Bhagavan, Ali and others in supporting and Bhoomika Chawla in a special cameo role... (2003) ♦ Kanchu (2006) |
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| Punnagai Poove Punnagai Poove Not in the soundtrackOther music featured in the film include:# "Idhu Innaisaiya" - sung by Hema Sardesai & Yuvan Shankar Raja, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
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| Pop Carn • | Popcarn (2007) (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| 2003 | Winner Winner (film) Winner is a 2003 Indian Tamil film, written and directed by Sundar C, that stars Prashanth, Kiran and Vadivelu in lead roles, while Vijayakumar, M. N. Nambiar, Rajkapoor, Prathap Singh, Riyaz Khan among others play other supporting roles. The film, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and filmed by M.... • |
Winner (Hindi) | |
| Kaadhal Kondein • | |||
| Pudhiya Geethai Pudhiya Geethai The songs were composed by his younger brother Yuvan Shankar Raja. The audio cd containing songs released on 29 March 2003 and features 6 tracks, the lyrics were penned by 'Kavignar' Vaali, Pa. Vijay, Yugabharathi and Vijay Sagar... # • |
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| Thennavan Thennavan Thennavan is a 2003 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by newcomer M. Nandakumaran and produced by Vijayakanth, who plays the lead role in the film as well, by enacting the title role character... • |
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| Kurumbu Kurumbu Kurumbu is a 2003 Indian Tamil film directed by Vishnuvardhan, making his directorial debut. The film, a remake of the 2002 Telugu film Allari, stars Allari Naresh, who also starred in the original version, which marked his acting debut, along with the female artists Diya and Nikita Thukral in lead... • |
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| Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan is a 2004 Indian Tamil film, written and directed by S. S. Stanley, starring Dhanush and newcomer Aparna Pillai in lead roles. The music, scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, was the major highlight of the film. After this film Dhanush was called as the Indian Bruce Lee... • |
Sowrya (2006) | ||
| Five by Four #2 (English) • | |||
| 2004 | Ullam • | ||
| Aethiree Aethiree Aethiree is a 2004 Indian Tamil comedy film, directed by popular director K. S. Ravikumar. The film, starring Madhavan, Sadha, Vivek, Kanika, Rahman and Delhi Ganesh in pivotal roles, has musical score by Yuvan Shankar Raja. It was released in May 2004... • |
Bottle Mani | ||
| Perazhagan Perazhagan Perazhagan is a 2004 Indian Tamil film directed by Sasi Shanker, starring Surya and Jyothika in lead roles with both essaying dual roles, whilst the supporting cast comprises Vivek, Manorama and Manobala among others. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
Sundarangadu | ||
| 7G Rainbow Colony 7G Rainbow Colony 7G Rainbow Colony is a 2004 Tamil drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring Ravi Krishna, who debuted in this film, and Sonia Agarwal in lead roles, with music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by Arvind Krishna. The film, released on 15 October 2004, met with... • |
7G Brindhavan Colony | Gilli Gilli (film) The music is scored by noted Tamil film composer and son of Ilaiyaraaja, Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had composed the music for the original version as well, for which he was awarded the Tamil Filmfare Award for Best Music 2004. The soundtrack was released on 8 June 2009 and features 7 tracks, which... (2009) (Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... ) ♦ |
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| Manmadhan Manmadhan Manmadhan is a 2004 blockbuster Indian Tamil thriller film written and Directed by A.J. Murugan, STR plays the lead title role. The film has Jyothika enacting the lead female role, Goundamani, Sindhu Tolani, Atul Kulkarni and Santhanam playing supporting roles and guest appearances by Mandira... • |
Manmadha | Madana (2006) (Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... ) ♦ |
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| Bose Bose (film) Bose is a 2004 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by Senthil Kumar. It stars Srikanth and Sneha in lead and Kalabhavan Mani, Nagesh, 'Thalaivaasal' Vijay and Manicka Vinayagam in supporting roles. It did reasonable business at the box-office. Upon release, the film was dubbed into Telugu... • |
Rakshana (2005) | ||
| Adhu Adhu Adhu is a 2004 Tamil horror film directed by Ramesh Krishnan, starring Sneha in the lead role, who plays the role of a spirit possessed girl... #2 • |
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| 2005 | Raam Raam (film) The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, joining with director Ameer Sultan. The soundtrack, released on 12 January 2005, features 7 tracks, including one instrumental. The lyrics were written by Snehan... • |
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| Arinthum Ariyamalum Arinthum Ariyamalum Arinthum Ariyamalum is a 2005 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan that stars Prakash Raj along with newcomers Arya, Navdeep and Samiksha in lead and Adithya and Krishna in supporting roles. The film's music is composed by top director, Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
Kalisunte | ||
| Daas Daas Daas is a 2005 Indian Tamil romantic film, written and directed by newcomer Babu Yogeswaran. The film stars Jayam Ravi, Renuka Menon in lead and Vadivelu, Livingston, Adithya, Shanmugarajan and Monica among others in supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
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| Thotti Jaya Thotti Jaya Thotti Jaya is an Indian film released in 2005. It was written and directed by Durai. The soundtrack was composed by Harris Jayaraj.-Plot:Jayachandran Mukut Pal is a born rowdy working in a hotel as a helper. He gets his title name "Thotti Jaya" as he is born in a garbage bin. People who confront... • (1 song; special thanks) |
Jalakanda | ||
| Oru Kalluriyin Kathai Oru Kalluriyin Kathai Oru Kalluriyin Kathai is a 2005 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer Nandha Periyasamy. It stars Arya and Sonia Agarwal in lead roles, whilst Santhanam, Mouli, Charlie, Charuhasan, Raja and Nizhalgal Ravi play significant roles. The film released in late 2005 and was deemed a success... • |
College Days (2008) | ||
| Kanda Naal Mudhal Kanda Naal Mudhal Kanda Naal Mudhal is a 2005 Indian Tamil romance film written and directed by newcomer V. Priya, who had earlier assisted Mani Ratnam. Produced by Prakash Raj under the Duet Films banner, the film stars Prasanna, Laila and Karthik Kumar in the lead roles and Revathi Menon, and Lakshmi all play in... • |
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| Sandakozhi Sandakozhi Sandakozhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy and produced by Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Film Corporation. The film stars Vishal, Meera Jasmine, Rajkiran and Lal in lead roles, whilst Suman Setty, Raja, Shanmugarajan and Ganja Karuppu essay... • |
Pandhem Kodi (2006) | ||
| Kalvanin Kadhali • | Chilipi | ||
| Agaram Agaram (film) Agaram is a 2007 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by T. Nagarajan, who had earlier directed the 1997 Sarath Kumar-starrer Aravindhan. It stars Nandha of Mounam Pesiyadhe and Punnagai Poove fame and newcomer Archana in the lead roles, with Biju Menon portraying the role of the... • |
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| Pudhupettai Pudhupettai Pudhupettai is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring his brother Dhanush in the lead, whilst Sneha and Sonia Agarwal enact the lead female character roles... • |
Dhoolpeta (2006) | ||
| 2006 | Happy • | Happy (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| Pattiyal Pattiyal Pattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
Gayam | ||
| Raam Raam (2006 film) Raam is a 2006 Indian Telugu film written and directed by N.Shankar starring Nitin in the lead role, Genelia D'Souza and Hrishitaa Bhatt in supporting roles and Krishnam Raju in a very vital role... • |
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| Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu is a 2006 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director Vijay Milton. It starring Bharath and Mallika Kapoor in lead and Arun Vijay, Deepu, Renuka and M. S. Baskar in vital supporting roles... • |
Maha Andamga Vunnavani Bhayam | ||
| Vallavan Vallavan Vallavan is a 2006Tamil film written and directed by T. R. Silambarasan, starring himself in the title role along with Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya whilst Santhanam, Premji Amaren, Sathyan and S. Ve. Shekhar play supporting roles. The dialogues are written by noted writer Balakumaran, whilst... • |
Vallabha | ||
| Kedi • | Jadoo | ||
| Thimiru Thimiru Thimiru is a 2006 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by debutant Tarun Gopi. The film stars Vishal Krishna, Reema Sen and Sriya Reddy in lead and former football player I. M. Vijayan, Manoj K. Jayan and Vadivelu in supporting roles, whilst Kiran Rathod appears in an item number. The... • |
Pogaru (2007) | Minchu (2008) (Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... ) ♦ (uncredited) |
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| Paruthiveeran Paruthiveeran Paruthiveeran is a 2007 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Ameer Sultan. The film stars Karthi in his feature film debut as the titular character, with Priyamani as the female lead and Ponvannan, Saravanan and Ganja Karuppu and Sujatha essaying supporting roles... • |
Palnati Veerudu (2010) | ||
| Thaamirabharani • | Bharani (2007) | ||
| 2007 | Deepavali • | Billu Bachan - Ek Diljala (2010) (Hindi) | |
| Chennai 600028 Chennai 600028 Chennai 600028 is a 2007 Tamil sports comedy film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, making his directorial debut. The film stars Shiva, Jai, Premji Amaran, Aravind Akash, Nithin Sathya and newcomers Ajay Raj, Ranjith, Vijay Vasanth, Prasanna, Karthik and Arun in the lead along with... # • |
Kodithe Kottali Raa | ||
| Yaaradi Nee Mohini Yaaradi Nee Mohini Yaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,... (2008) ♦ |
Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule is a 2007 Telugu language film, written and directed by Tamil film director Selvaraghavan, making his directorial debut in the Telugu film industry. The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan in the lead and Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sriram) in supporting roles... • |
Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu is a 2008 Indian Kannada film starring film producer Aditya Babu, making his debut as an actor, and Ramya in lead roles... (2008) (Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... ) # ♦ (4 out of 7 songs) |
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| Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram is a 2007 Tamil-language drama film directed by Suresh Krishna. It stars Dhanush in the lead role along with Meera Jasmine and Archana. The film is a remake of the successful 2005 Kannada film Jogi directed by Prem and features the original music scored by Gurukiran... • (1 song; special thanks) |
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| Raju Bhai Raju Bhai Raju Bhai is a 2007 Indian Telugu drama film directed by Suriya Kiran, starring Manoj Manchu and Sheela in lead and Dhandapani, Tanikella Bharani and Brahmanandam in supporting roles... • |
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| Satham Podathey Satham Podathey Satham Podathey is a 2007 Tamil psychological thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Shankar and Senthilnathan. It stars Prithviraj, Padmapriya and Nithin Sathya in the lead roles whilst Nassar, Suhasini, Premji Amaren and Raaghav play cameo roles. The film, which is based... • |
Kelkaatha Shabdam (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| Thottal Poo Malarum Thottal Poo Malarum Thottal Poo Malarum is a 2007 Tamil romance film written and directed by P. Vasu, starring his son Sakthi Vasu and Gowri Munjal, two newcomers, in lead roles, whilst Rajkiran, Suganya, Nassar, Vadivelu and Santhanam essayed supporting roles. Music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
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| Kannamoochi Yenada Kannamoochi Yenada Kannamoochi Yenada? is a 2007 Tamil comedy-drama film written and directed by V. Priya. The film stars Sathyaraj, Prithviraj, Sandhya and Raadhika Sarathkumar in lead and Sripriya, Manobala and Radharavi in supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja... • |
Aarodum Parayaathe (2008) (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| Kattradhu Thamizh • | |||
| Vel Vel (film) Vel is a 2007 Tamil action-drama film written and directed by Hari and produced by Mohan Natarajan. It stars Suriya and Asin and features Vadivelu, Kalabhavan Mani and Nassar in supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film was released on 9... • |
Deva | ||
| Machakaaran Machakaaran Machakaaran is a 2007 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Tamilvannan of Kalvanin Kadhali fame. The film stars Jeevan and Kamna Jethmalani in the lead, whilst Santhanam, G. M. Kumar, Shobraj and Vinod Rajan play major roles and Malavika appears in an item number. The film score and soundtrack... • |
Dheera (2009) | ||
| Billa Billa (2007 film) Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original... • |
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| 2008 | Vaazhthugal Vaazhthugal Vaazhthugal is a 2008 Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Seeman of Thambi fame. The film stars Madhavan and Bhavana in lead roles along with Venkat Prabhu, Ilavarasu, Na. Muthusamy and R. K, who play supporting roles. Produced by Siva for Amma Creations and with music scored by Yuvan... • |
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| Saroja • | Saroja | ||
| Aegan Aegan Aegan is a 2008 Tamil action and comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International based on the 2004 Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na... • |
Mallika I Love You (2009) | ||
| Silambattam Silambattam (film) Silambattam is a 2008 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director Saravanan, making his directorial debut. The film stars Silambarasan Rajendar in dual roles while Sneha, Sana Khan, Prabhu and Kishore also play lead roles. Nedumudi Venu, Raaghav, Santhanam and... • |
Maa Vaadu (2009) | ||
| 2009 | Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum is a 2009 Indian Tamil drama film, directed by debutante Rajamohan, who earlier worked under renowned directors like A. Venkatesh and S. D. Vijay Milton, which stars newcomers Ramakrishnan and Thananya in lead roles. It is produced by SPB Charan under his banner... • |
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| Siva Manasula Sakthi Siva Manasula Sakthi Siva Manasula Sakthi is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by debutante Rajesh. It stars Jeeva and newcomer Anuya Bhagvath, a student of Pune Film Institute, in the lead roles, with Santhanam, Urvashi and Sathyan appearing in supporting and Arya appearing in a cameo role... • |
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| Sarvam Sarvam Sarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D... • |
Sarvam (2010) | ||
| Vaamanan • | |||
| Muthirai Muthirai Muthirai is a 2009 Indian Tamil thriller film written by Aneez Tanveer Jeeva, wife of late director Jeeva, who also produces this film, and directed by actor Srinath,starring Daniel Balaji, Nithin Sathya, Lakshmi Rai and newcomer Manjari Phadnis in the lead roles, whilst Kishore of Polladhavan and... • |
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| Oy! • | |||
| Yogi Yogi (2009 film) Yogi is a 2009 Indian Tamil action-drama film directed by Subramaniya Shiva, who earlier directed films like Thiruda Thirudi and Pori. Starring director-turned-actor Ameer Sultan, Madhumitha, Swathi, Ponvannan, lyricist Snehan, making his acting debut, and Ganja Karuppu in lead roles, the film is... • |
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| Paiyaa • | Awara (2010) | ||
| Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai is a 2010 Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by Thiru Krishnamoorthy. The film, produced by Vikram Krishna, stars his brother Vishal Krishna in the lead role along with Neetu Chandra, former Miss India Universe Tanushree Dutta making her debut in Tamil... • |
Khiladi (2010) | ||
| 2010 | Goa Goa (film) Goa is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, who with the project, directed his third film following two previous successes... • |
Goa (2011) | |
| Striker | Striker Striker (film) The soundtrack album of Striker consists of 8 songs composed by various artists such as Vishal Bhardwaj, noted Tamil composer Yuvan Shankar Raja in his Bollywood debut, Amit Trivedi, rapper Blaaze, Shailendra Barve and lyricist-singer Swanand Kirkire, whilst lyrics are penned by Nitin Raikwar,... (Hindi) • (1 song) |
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| Baana Kaathadi • | Kurralloi Kurrallu (2011) | ||
| Kaadhal Solla Vandhen Kaadhal Solla Vandhen The film score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, working together with director Boopathy Pandian for the first time. The soundtrack album, which was released on 16 June 2010 at Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai, consists of 5 songs, all of which being solo numbers and notably featuring only... • |
Modalaindi Ila (2011) | ||
| Thillalangadi Thillalangadi The Thillalangadi soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, working together with director M. Raja for the first time. The soundtrack album features 7 songs, two of which have been reused from the original version, composed by Thaman, as per Raja's wish. The lyrics are penned by Na. Muthukumar... # • (5 out of 7 songs) |
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| Naan Mahaan Alla • | Naa Peru Shiva (2011) | ||
| Boss Engira Bhaskaran Boss Engira Bhaskaran Following the success of Siva Manasula Sakthi, Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack of Boss Engira Bhaskaran, too. The soundtrack album, which was released on 27 August 2010 at Sathyam Cinemas, contains 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na... • |
Nene Ambani | ||
| Pathinaaru • | Jolly Boy Jolly Boy The soundtrack to Jolly Boy features 5 tracks, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for the original Tamil version. The album was released in April 2011 by director Indrajit Lankesh at the Abhimani Convention Center, Bangalore.... (2011) (Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... ) ♦ |
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| 2011 | Pesu Pesu The soundtrack to the film is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, which was released on February 02, 2011. Though earlier reports claimed Yuvan Shankar Raja had composed six songs, the album featured only five songs, with four of them being duets.... • |
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| Kadhal 2 Kalyanam Kadhal 2 Kalyanam Kadhal 2 Kalyanam is an upcoming Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by newcomer Milind Rau that stars debutante Sathya, brother of Tamil actor Arya, and Divya Spandana in the lead roles, whilst, Jayashree, Nagendra Prasad, Kasthuri and Anuja Iyer play pivotal roles... • |
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| Vaanam Vaanam Vaanam is an Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Krish. A remake of his 2010 Telugu film Vedam, the film features an ensemble cast of Silambarasan, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj and Saranya... • |
Vaanam (Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... ) |
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| Avan Ivan Avan Ivan Avan Ivan is a 2011 Tamil comedy-drama film written and directed by Bala, who with this project directs his fifth feature film. The film stars Vishal Krishna, Arya, Janani Iyer and Madhu Shalini in the lead roles. The film, produced by Kalpathi S. Agoram's AGS Entertainment, features music by... • |
Vaadu Veedu | ||
| Aaranya Kaandam Aaranya Kaandam Aaranya Kaandam is a 2011 Indian Tamil action film, written and directed by newcomer Thiagarajan Kumararaja. It is supposedly the first neo-noir film in Tamil cinema. The story takes place in a day in the lives of the six protagonists, played by Jackie Shroff, Ravi Krishna, Sampath Raj and... #2 • |
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| Mankatha Mankatha Mankatha is a 2011 Tamil action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu. It features Ajith Kumar in the lead role, starring in his 50th film, along with an ensemble cast including Arjun, Trisha Krishnan, Vaibhav Reddy, Lakshmi Rai, Andrea Jeremiah, Premji Amaren and Anjali... • |
Gambler | ||
| Panjaa Panjaa Panjaa , is an upcoming Indian Telugu action film directed by Vishnuvardhan, starring Pawan Kalyan. The film, jointly produced by Arka Mediaworks and Sanghamitra Art Productions, also stars Sarah-Jane Dias, Anjali Lavania, Jackie Shroff and Sesh Adivi, while featuring music scored by Yuvan Shankar... • |
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| Kazhugu Kazhugu (2011 film) The soundtrack of Kazhugu was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, a close friend of Krishna. It features five tracks, which were sung Yuvan Shankar Raja himself, his brother Karthik Raja and noted folk music artists Pushpavanam Kuppusamy and Velmurugan among others. The lyrics were penned by Na.... • |
- #Only soundtrack, film score composed by another composer
- #2Only film score, no soundtrack released
- The films are listed in order of the album release date, irrespective of the film release date.
- The year next to the title of the affected films indicates the release year of the either dubbed or remade version in the named language later than the original version.
- • indicates original language release. Indicates simultaneous makes, if featuring in more languages
- ♦ indicates a remade version, the remaining ones being dubbed versions
Forthcoming releases
- 2011 - Rajapattai
- 2011 - Thanga MeengalThanga MeengalThanga Meengal is an Indian drama film written and directed by Ram, directing his second film after his highly acclaimed Kattradhu Thamizh. Ram, besides, plays the lead role as well alongside several newcomers. A joint production of Gautham Menon's Photon Kathaas and R. S. Infotainment, the film...
- 2011 - VettaiVettaiVettai is an upcoming Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy, that stars Madhavan, Arya, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul in the lead roles. The film revolves around two brothers settled in Thoothukudi, with the elder one working as a police officer...
- 2011 - Mr. NokiaMr. NokiaMr. Nokia is an upcoming Indian Telugu-action film written and directed by Anil Krishna. It features Manoj Manchu, Kriti Kharbanda and Sana Khan in lead roles. The film score and soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while cinematography is handled by B. Rajasekar. The film is produced by...
(Telugu) - 2011 - Aadhi BhagavanAadhi BhagavanAadhi Bhagavan is an upcoming Tamil romance film written and directed by Ameer Sultan , which stars Jayam Ravi and Neetu Chandra in the lead roles. Produced by DMK politician J. Anbazhagan, the film, featuring music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by R. B. Gurudev and K...
- 2012 - Vettai MannanVettai MannanVettai Mannan is an upcoming Tamil action film written and directed by debutante director Nelson. The film will feature Silambarasan, Jai, Hansika Motwani, Deeksha Seth and Poonam Kaur...
- 2012 - Billa 2Billa 2Billa II is a forthcoming Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Chakri Toleti. It is a prequel to the 2007 film Billa and would focus on how David, an ordinary man from the coastal regions of South Tamil Nadu, becomes Billa, a dreaded underworld don, with Ajith Kumar reprising the role of the...
- 2012 - SamaranSamaran (film)Samaran is an upcoming Tamil-language action film directed by Thiru featuring Vishal and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles.-Cast:* Vishal* Trisha Krishnan* Sunaina* Prakash Raj* Milind Soman* Rajendran-Production:...
- 2012 - Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal
- 2012 - 2011 Bhagyaraj
- 2012 - Bloody PakiBloody PakiBloody Paki is an upcoming Hindi action film inspired by the real story of a Punjabi immigrant, set against the backdrop of the London terrorist attacks in 2005. It is directed by Shiva, while Shaad Ali is the executive producer, both of them have been assistant directors under Mani Ratnam, who...
(Hindi) - 2012 - Vijaya Production # 4 [ Ajith Movie ]
Singles
- 2010 - "Evan Di Unna PethanEvan Di Unna Pethan"Evan Di Unna Pethan" is a song by Indian artist and film composer Yuvan Shankar Raja. A part of the soundtrack album to the 2011 film Vaanam, it was released as a single track on 28 November 2010, in order to promote the film...
" (Promotional track for VaanamVaanamVaanam is an Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Krish. A remake of his 2010 Telugu film Vedam, the film features an ensemble cast of Silambarasan, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj and Saranya...
) - 2010 - "I'll Be There For You" (Promotional track for Yuvan - Live in ConcertYuvan - Live in ConcertYuvan - Live in Concert is a concert by Indian musician Yuvan Shankar Raja. The concert, Yuvan's second in his career, took place on Pongal, 16 January 2011 at the YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai...
) - 2011 - "Vilaiyaadu MankathaVilaiyaadu Mankatha"Vilaiyaadu Mankatha" is a song by Indian artist and film composer Yuvan Shankar Raja. A part of the soundtrack album to the Tamil film Mankatha, it was released as a single track on 20 May 2011...
" (Promotional track for MankathaMankathaMankatha is a 2011 Tamil action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu. It features Ajith Kumar in the lead role, starring in his 50th film, along with an ensemble cast including Arjun, Trisha Krishnan, Vaibhav Reddy, Lakshmi Rai, Andrea Jeremiah, Premji Amaren and Anjali...
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Awards
- Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil)Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil)The Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given to film composers by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil films. The award was first given in 1992, A. R. Rahman being the first recipient of this award for his film score and soundtrack of Roja.There have been...
for 7G Rainbow Colony7G Rainbow Colony7G Rainbow Colony is a 2004 Tamil drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring Ravi Krishna, who debuted in this film, and Sonia Agarwal in lead roles, with music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by Arvind Krishna. The film, released on 15 October 2004, met with...
(2004) - Filmfare Special Jury AwardFilmfare Special Award (South)The Filmfare Special Jury Award is given by the Filmfare Magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for South Indian films. It acknowledges a special and unique performance and encourages artistes, filmmakers and musicians to break new ground in drama, direction, music and acting. It is...
for Oy! (2009) - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music DirectorTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music DirectorThe Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil feature films.-The list:...
for PattiyalPattiyalPattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
(2006) - Cyprus International Film Festival Award For Best Musical Score Feature FilmCyprus International Film FestivalThe Cyprus International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cyprus. It is a non-profit organisation. The festival features premieres and screenings of many films, and contains competitive categories including Feature, Short, Documentary, Video art, Video Dance and animation...
for RaamRaam (film)The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, joining with director Ameer Sultan. The soundtrack, released on 12 January 2005, features 7 tracks, including one instrumental. The lyrics were written by Snehan...
(2006) - Vijay Award for Favourite SongVijay Award for Favourite SongThe Vijay for Favorite Song is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films. It is chosen through public voting. The award was first given in 2008.-The list:...
for "En Kadhal SollaEn Kadhal SollaEn Kadhal Solla is a song from the 2010 Tamil feature film Paiyaa, composed and performed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The song, with lyrics by Na. Muthukumar, was released as part of the soundtrack album of the film on 22 November 2009...
" (PaiyaaPaiyaa (soundtrack)Paiyaa is the soundtrack to the 2010 Tamil romantic-action film, Paiyaa, directed by N. Linguswamy and starring Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia. The soundtrack album originally includes five and an additional track composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and was released on November 22, 2010 by Think Music...
) (2010)
Nominations
- Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Telugu for Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu VeruleAadavari Matalaku Ardhalu VeruleAadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule is a 2007 Telugu language film, written and directed by Tamil film director Selvaraghavan, making his directorial debut in the Telugu film industry. The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan in the lead and Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sriram) in supporting roles...
(2007) - Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil for Yaaradi Nee MohiniYaaradi Nee MohiniYaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,...
(200856th Filmfare Awards SouthThe 56th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honored its selection of the best South Indian films of 2008 and was held on Friday, July 31, 2009, in Hyderabad, India.-Nominations:...
) - Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil for PaiyaaPaiyaa (soundtrack)Paiyaa is the soundtrack to the 2010 Tamil romantic-action film, Paiyaa, directed by N. Linguswamy and starring Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia. The soundtrack album originally includes five and an additional track composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and was released on November 22, 2010 by Think Music...
(2010) - Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil for Naan Mahaan Alla (2010)
- Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer – Tamil for "Iragai PoleIragai PoleIragai Pole is a song from the 2010 Tamil feature film Naan Mahaan Alla, composed and performed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The song, with lyrics by Yugabharathy, was released as part of the soundtrack album of the film on 16 July 2010...
" - Naan Mahaan Alla (2010) - Vijay Award for Best Music DirectorVijay Award for Best Music DirectorThe Vijay for Best Music Director is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.-Nominations:...
for ParuthiveeranParuthiveeranParuthiveeran is a 2007 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Ameer Sultan. The film stars Karthi in his feature film debut as the titular character, with Priyamani as the female lead and Ponvannan, Saravanan and Ganja Karuppu and Sujatha essaying supporting roles...
(2007) - Vijay Award for Best Music Director for Saroja (2008)
- Vijay Award for Best Music Director for Siva Manasula SakthiSiva Manasula SakthiSiva Manasula Sakthi is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic comedy film written and directed by debutante Rajesh. It stars Jeeva and newcomer Anuya Bhagvath, a student of Pune Film Institute, in the lead roles, with Santhanam, Urvashi and Sathyan appearing in supporting and Arya appearing in a cameo role...
(2009) - Vijay Award for Best Music Director for PaiyaaPaiyaa (soundtrack)Paiyaa is the soundtrack to the 2010 Tamil romantic-action film, Paiyaa, directed by N. Linguswamy and starring Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia. The soundtrack album originally includes five and an additional track composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and was released on November 22, 2010 by Think Music...
(2010)